It’s been a long time since I’ve done a proper cemetery visit with a good camera. I’m in Alnwick, England, having brought some MNSU students over for a study abroad opportunity. I needed to test out the camera that they’ll be using, so I took a short walk down the street from the castle to St. Michael’s Church.

Now I remember what I love so much about these visits. What a serene, peaceful, sacred space. It was the perfect way to spend a little time on a Sunday, especially after arriving on Saturday after 24 hours of travel.

The steward kindly had to correct me twice — I was in a “churchyard,” not a “cemetery.”

This church was built in the 1500s. There have been some updates, of course, but largely this structure has stood for 600 years. Prince Harry has attended a wedding here, and sometimes the Duke of Northumberland and his family attend services.

I like how the light is hitting the red fabric of the high altar.

Here I was playing with aperture, which is a function of a DSLR that I hadn’t used for a long time.

Shortly after I visited the churchyard and church, I attended an Evensong service as a different church. This made for a fulfilling and contemplative late afternoon and evening.